Big Eared Bat Habitat
The Virginia big-eared bat, sometimes called simply the big-eared bat, is a nonmigratory species of bat living in the central southeastern United States. These medium-size bats grow to be between 3 and 4 1/2 inches long and weigh only 0.3 to 9.4 ounces. Ears may make up as much as an inch of the bat's length. These bats have light to dark brown fur and two distinctive glands on their muzzles.
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Range
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The big-eared bat lives in isolated populations in eastern West Virginia, northwestern North Carolina, southwestern Virginia and eastern Kentucky. It may be found in only a few counties in each state and is considered an endangered species. It bears a close resemblance to its relatives, the Ozark big-eared bat and the non-endangered Townsend's big-eared bat.
Caves
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This bat prefers caves in karst regions---areas with a limestone bedrock and many sinkholes. It prefers forested areas made up of either beech, maple and hemlock trees, or oak and hickory trees. During the winter, the bats may be found hibernating close to the entrances of caves. They form tight clusters for additional warmth. During the summer, the big-eared bat forms maternity colonies in warm areas of the same caves.
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Threats
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The Virginia big-eared bat is endangered primarily due to human habitat disturbance. When these bats are disturbed in the winter, the resulting stress causes them to lose reserves of fat. If a colony is disturbed multiple times during the winter, the bats may starve before their insect prey becomes available again. Females that are disturbed during the maternity season often drop their young to the cave floor or abandon the roost entirely. Noise and light are significant disturbances.
Life Cycle
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Big-eared bats are unusual in that they do not migrate. Instead, they live permanently in caves. They mate in fall, and females store the sperm until spring, fertilizing themselves shortly after they come out of hibernation. A single pup is born in June, and juveniles are able to fly and catch their own moths and other insects within three weeks.
Considerations
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The Virginia big-eared bat may best be conserved by protecting the caves in which it roosts. Sightseers, spelunkers and developers all disturb its habitat, causing stress and possible death. Limiting potential disturbances to the months when the bat is neither caring for young nor hibernating greatly increases the species' chance of survival.
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References
- Photo Credit Cave image by Gonçalo Carreira from Fotolia.com
